ANALYSIS – Ottawa Rapid ends AFC Toronto’s unbeaten run at York Lions Stadium. Ottawa gave up a goal to Lauren Rowe early in the game against Toronto on the road, which was cancelled out by Lee Min-A’s goal late in the first half.
However, a red card for AFC Toronto’s Colby Barnett early in the second half turned the tide, as Ottawa would get a game-winning goal from Delaney Baie Pridham (D.B. Pridham) to make it 2-1.
Ottawa Rapid Ends AFC Toronto’s Two-Game Winning Streak
Lauren Rowe Continues to Impress for AFC Toronto
The NSL player of the month for June has continued to fire on all cylinders on Saturday. Lauren Rowe continues her strong form as she scored a very early goal against the Ottawa Rapid FC to give her team the early lead, with Kaylee Hunter delivering the pass. This is what AFC Toronto head coach Marko Milanović said about her:
As of right now, Rowe leads the team in goals scored and is tied for third in the league with Montreal Roses FC’s co-captain, Tanya Boychuk. She has made great improvements, and it will be exciting to see where she goes from here, especially with Esther Okoronkwo recently returning to the team after a lengthy injury.
Lee Min-a Scored A Stunning Goal
Lee Min-a scored a beautiful goal, beating AFC Toronto goalkeeper Sofia Manner with a shot from outside the box that went into the back of the net. Min-a’s goal was important as Toronto had all the momentum up to that point. This is what the Ottawa Rapid FC head coach, Katrine Pedersen, said about Lee Min-a’s presence:
“Mimi was just playing with the technique and building awareness of where the balls are coming from,” Pedersen said. “She’s looking very good. So, we are happy about it.”
READ MORE: Ottawa Rapid’s First Goal Changed the Momentum of the Game
Min-a was also known to score Ottawa’s first-ever goal last year, when they defeated AFC Toronto 2-1. She has great technical ability with the ball and is an important player for the team.
Colby Barnett’s Red Card
Both teams seem to admit that the red card had an impact on the game. Someone in the media asked AFC Toronto head coach Marko Milanović why the red card happened to Colby Barnett, to which he said this:
“Must have said something to the ref (referee); there was nothing else I could pick out.”
Regardless of how the red card occurred, the Ottawa Rapid FC had a massive advantage to win the game. Yes, Ottawa did not generate as many scoring opportunities as maybe they would have wanted after the red card was issued. However, thanks to a set-piece delivered following a corner by Johanne Fridlund, Delaney Baie Pridham (D.B. Pridham) was able to get to the ball and scored the game-winning goal.
Other Factors: AFC Toronto Did Not Capitalize On Their Scoring Chances
READ MORE: Kaylee Hunter: Promising Canadian Teenager for AFC Toronto
AFC Toronto had many chances to score more goals throughout the game. Some of them included:
- Esther Okoronkwo got a great pass from Kaylee Hunter near the end of the game but was unable to convert.
- Kaylee Hunter shot the ball when she was one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but it hit the post.
- Hunter received a pass from Nyota Katembo, but she was unable to convert on the scoring chance.
Both Okoronkwo and Katembo made an impact on the game as substitutes in the second half. This is what Milanović said about both their performances. First, on Katembo, Milanović said this:
“She hasn’t played in recent games, and I thought she came on and was very impactful. I’m really happy with her performance.”
READ MORE: Esther Okoronkwo: AFC Toronto’s Leading Goal Scorer
Then he talked about Okoronkwo:
“Esther, I mean we know what Esther can do,” Milanović said. “I was hoping she’d be a little, little fresher towards the end, you know, that final push that came to, you know, maybe close to the ball down or, you know, an extra effort on the second ball, things like that, but she obviously has an impact that you expect from her.”
Okoronkwo did not play the full 90 minutes as she is still not 100 percent yet from the injury she suffered early in the 2026 NSL season. However, one can say that Okoronkwo and Katembo made an immediate impact off the bench. Okoronkwo’s agility, speed, and ability to get to the right spaces to score were remarkable.
What Milanović might be talking about is the shot Okoronkwo missed at the very end of extra time. It was a great chance at the centre of the box, and it looked like she did not get much power and accuracy into the shot.
This is while Katembo was able to use her speed to get past defenders and tried to create scoring opportunities for her teammates. In fact, she created a scoring chance where Hunter almost scored. There was also a dangerous pass Katembo delivered inside Ottawa’s box, but no Toronto player was able to get to it.
Games Coming Up For Both Teams
Right now, in the NSL table, the Ottawa Rapid FC is at the top with 25 points, as they have won their last three games. This is while AFC Toronto currently remains at third in the table with 15 points earned. They are three points behind second place, the Montreal Roses FC, which currently have 18 points.
The Ottawa Rapid FC’s next game (as mentioned on the Ottawa Rapid FC website) will be against the Halifax Tides FC on July 16, which will be shown live in Canada on TSN+, ESPN+ in the U.S., and for the world, including Canada and the U.S., on YouTube. That game will take place at TD Place Stadium.
This is while AFC Toronto will look to get their first home game victory at York Lions Stadium as they face the Vancouver Rise FC at 4:00 pm ET on July 18 (according to the AFC Toronto website). The game will be shown live on YouTube worldwide and on CBC Gem in Canada.
READ MORE: Vancouver Rise FC Wins The First-Ever Diana B. Matheson Cup
This will also be Vancouver’s first game in Toronto since the Rise won the Diana B. Matheson Cup at BMO Field by a scoreline of 2-1 over AFC Toronto.
Note #1: The game on July 11 celebrated Global Football Day, as AFC Toronto celebrated all the different countries and backgrounds of the people who currently live in the city of Toronto. There are even some examples of this on AFC Toronto. Some examples include Esther Okoronkwo, who plays for Nigeria, Nikayla Small, who plays for Jamaica, and also Cloey Uddenberg, who currently plays for Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Note #2: To learn more about the questions answered in AFC Toronto’s post-game press conference on Saturday, please look at the link provided here.
Photo Credit: Sean Pollock for AFC Toronto on July 11, 2026.
